By Francis Allan L. Angelo
Fishing buddies Erwin and Gilbert of Arroyo St., City Proper, Iloilo City find angling enjoyable and a good escape from the stresses living in a pandemic.
This is why the fish dispersal program of the Iloilo City government is always welcome news for Ilonggo anglers.
“We fish here for our meals, and we always catch something. Unlike before, now we never go home empty-handed,” Gilbert said in Hiligaynon, adding that they are able to catch a variety of fish, including sapsap, lapad, kikiro, bulan-bulan, and bulgan.
The duo uses recreational fishing gear to catch fish at the Iloilo River. They could go on for hours doing nothing else but wait for the fish to bite. This has been their life since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We fish for an average of five hours, and in that period the haul is pretty good. It’s easy to catch fish now because there is definitely more fish than before,” Gilbert said.
It’s good the city has that program (fish dispersal) coupled with cleaning (the river). In the past, it was impossible to fish here just by the amount of trash in it. Ours is really mostly for fun, but going home with food is a bonus. We get more bites in the afternoons as this is when the fish come up to eat. But it would be better if no one used nets because using nets means you catch even the smallest of fish].”
RECREATIONAL FISHING
The ongoing program of the Iloilo City government under Mayor Jerry Treñas has led to a rise in the number of recreational fishers that seem to grow more as the fish stock increases.
“Actually, this project was launched years back when Mayor Treñas was still congressman of Iloilo City. He specifically started this project under his banner program on food security to restore the Iloilo River because he knew it was going to be a good source of food,” according to Iñigo Garingalao, the city’s OIC agriculturist.
“Mayor Treñas believes that fish dispersal is central to the success of our conservation efforts of the Iloilo River system since having fish in it will help in the maintenance of its balance. It’s all symbiotic because the more living organism there are in our rivers, the more stable the ecology.”
Garingalao also pointed to the presence of more birds at the riverbanks and surrounding areas as further proof of the program’s success.
“When you see a diversity of living beings in and around Iloilo River that means there is ecological balance. And that’s necessary if we want greater fishery yield. The preservation of our rivers is vital to our food cycle,” he added
Garingalao said City Hall is greatly appreciative of all the help it gets from the public and private sectors, including corporations such as MORE Power and SM that help with the mangrove reforestation project and the fish program.
MORE FISH
Today, February 13, MORE Power will host a fish dispersal event where 730 juvenile fish will be released into the Iloilo River.
This activity is part of the company’s celebration of the second anniversary of the signing of its congressional franchise, Republic Act 11212, by President Rodrigo Duterte on February 14, 2019.
The law gave MORE Power the rights to distribute electricity to Iloilo City.
“The juveniles represent 365 days of service multiplied by two to make it 730,” explained Jonathan Cabrera, MORE Power spokesman.
The fish fry, mostly lapu-lapu, will be released by MORE employees led by President and COO Mr. Roel Castro, alongside Mayor Treñas and other Iloilo City government officials.
“MORE is deeply supportive of the efforts of Mayor Treñas to improve the biodiversity of the Iloilo River, and we are committed to restocking it,” Cabrera said.
Lapu-lapu was chosen for dispersal due to its high-end value and excellent flavor as well as its great potential to survive.
“This fish in the wild can adjust and adapt easily, making it an ideal choice for the program,” Cabrera added.
Last January, MORE Power employees also hosted the planting of mangrove seedlings along the banks of Iloilo River, galvanizing the company’s commitment to the preservation of Iloilo’s environment and ecosystem, an initiative that was lauded by the city government of Iloilo.
MORE TO FOLLOW
“We are optimistic that, given MORE Power’s initiatives, other private groups would follow suit. And by that we mean that they would have a real go at it. Mr. Castro not only came up with the idea, he also followed through. In fact, we heard that he plans to donate equipment for our fish wardens,” Garingalao said.
“The pandemic has made it very clear that collaboration is key to overcoming challenges. But Ilonggos have always worked well as a team and our mayor’s battle cry ‘Bato, Iloilo’ exclaimed with one clenched fist and the other (hand) holding the hand of another reflects solidarity and unity of action with our partners like MORE,” he added.
MORE Power president and COO Roel Castro said, “We are pleased to say that MORE Power is here not only to improve the city’s power distribution but also to contribute to programs that positively impact our environment, particularly the Iloilo River. It is our fervent wish, together with the city government under the able leadership of Mayor Treñas, for the Iloilo River to be a source of sustainable fish supply especially in times of crises.